Tangled Flames
by The Alice of Shredd
Summary: Raven goes to a Valentine's party with her sights set on Aqualad... But after she quickly realizes that he has his own Valentine, an unexpected admirer appears...


**Tangled Flames**

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Rated T

This fanfiction is officially stamped with an 'Implied Yaoi Warning.'

This fanfiction is also officially stamped with my new, green 'Contest Entry' stamp. (The challenge was to write a holiday-themed fanfic in 3,000 words or less.)

**A/N 1:** This is rather strange and, looking at it now, it seems to be subtly cynical. Oh—this really isn't a Rae/Aqua story, persay, so if you only clicked on it because of the pairing… well, I'm sorry. (sigh) But read it anyway!

**A/N 2:** A cookie to the person who figures out why I nicknamed Red X 'Edwasonabriel.' (It's really not that hard.)

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"_The course of true love never did run smooth." -Shakespeare_

Raven was probably the only member of the Titans who wasn't expected to attend the annual Valentine's party. Naturally, her teammates urged her to go, but after the first two years of unsuccessful encouragement they realized that it was hopeless, and became half-hearted in their efforts.

But this year? This year was going to be different. This year, even if she'd be among the unattached Titans, she could also be among those Titans who wanted to be with someone, and knew exactly who that 'someone' was.

Yes, she was in love.

It surprised her to admit it, really. But she was head-over-heels for someone, and this time, it wasn't some unattainable crush, nor was it for an unsafe, heart-wrecker playboy. Oh, no—she had learned her lesson after the first few boyfriends.

There was Matt, the gothic boy she always saw at the clubs, but he quickly became infamous for his overuse of cigarettes and girls. Then there was Joshua, who studied constantly and had the strangest habits. (Until that point, Raven never knew that some people actually were afraid of government cloning, and in attempts to keep from being cloned would burn whatever came off or out of their body—dead skin, vomit and feces included.)

And then there was Beast Boy. Surprisingly, she enjoying being with him without the "goth girl" stereotype hanging over her head. But ever since Terra disappeared from his life, he'd turned into a rather emotionless jokester, and none of his relationships had been deep enough to last. At the end of a few months, both he and Raven had realized that despite how much they loved each other, it would always be platonic.

So now she turned her hopes on another Titan, one by the name of Aqualad. According to Bee, he didn't have a girlfriend, although he'd supposedly become quieter as Valentine's Day grew closer and closer. Bee's analysis of the quick emotional change was that he had some secret Valentine, but was worried over what to get her.

Raven wasn't a fool enough to believe that his Valentine was her. But ever since that conversation with Bumblebee, she'd walked around with a slight hint of a smile on her face.

And here she was, sitting in her room at a quarter to eight, waiting impatiently for the clock to tick to 8:05. Everyone else would be politely late, so there was no point in getting to the main room before then.

Twiddling a stick of eyeliner between her fingers, she hummed and stared at the small box on her bed. The mere presence of the heart-shaped present made a knot of nervousness tighten in her stomach. Inside were chocolates, neatly arranged in their own tiny compartments.

Raven had spent the previous week wondering what would be a good present for the Atlantian. She'd decided on chocolates after much meditation, but she hadn't figured out if she'd wanted to make her own or just buy some.

After much encouragement from Starfire (who also needed help with cooking), she had asked Cyborg to aid her in making the small treats. Much to her pleasure, they turned out perfectly.

Raven's eyes drifted back to the clock and she jerked upright. Five minutes had passed, and she hadn't done anything.

Focusing on the mirror again, she continued with applying what little make-up she could. It wasn't surprising that she couldn't find any powder, base or eyeshadow that didn't make her look like a circus freak, but after some talking with Starfire she came up with the proper eye make-up and a light blush.

Just as she raised the mascara brush to her eyelashes, a loud knock on the door startled her into jabbing herself in the eye. Swearing, she put a hand to her eye, heading toward the door.

She only let the door slide open a few inches, but instantly a shimmering green eye appeared, bright and happy.

"Raven!" Starfire cried quietly, batting her hand through the door. "I am here to assist you in your preparations for the evening's merriment!"

Raven squinted at her through one good eye, opening the door with slight reluctance. Starfire was already in her dress, a short pink thing with silver embellishments. Strings of silver jingled around her neck and wrists. She looked perfect and ready to party, unlike Raven, who stood in her bathrobe with a still-wet mascara smear above one eye.

"Might as well get someone who knows what she's doing," Raven muttered as Starfire practically bounced across the room.

Before she knew it, Starfire had applied a number of things to her face at a rather inhuman speed. Raven began to regret letting the Tamaranean into her room as soon as Starfire moved her quick hands to Raven's hair. It wasn't that Starfire hadn't learned to use moderation with hair styles; Raven was simply doubtful that anything Starfire knew how to style would actually look decent in short hair.

Starfire pulled away for a moment, biting her lip. Raven was faced away from the mirror, but she was kind of afraid to see what she'd been transformed into, especially with Starfire's less-than-enthusiastic response.

Her worry was in vain; Starfire ripped her from the chair after another moment of consideration and dragged her toward the adjoining bathroom.

"You should dress now," the redhead ordered, handing her the dress and pushing her through the door.

Raven obliged, resisting the temptation to look in the mirror. As soon as the dress was on, she sighed and opened the door, stepping towards Starfire.

For a moment, Starfire's eyes narrowed, but then they widened in astonishment. "You look magnificent!" she grinned, floating around Raven to get a better look.

"I do?" She had some serious doubts.

"Please, view yourself!"

Raven felt herself being pulled toward the mirror. When her eyes met with her reflection's she froze, actually taken aback by how different she looked. She couldn't compare herself with Starfire, of course, but for once she actually felt pretty, like a porcelain doll in a black dress. Her hair even looked presentable, the front pulled back simply, tied with a black ribbon that Starfire had seemingly conjured up.

"Oh!"

Starfire's gasp broke her momentary reverie. Raven turned, reflexively taking the shoes Starfire handed her.

"Put them on," Starfire said, pushing her back into the chair before fluttering to the door, waiting beside it. "It is nearly 15 past the eighth hour."

Raven paused midway through putting on the first heel, taking a moment to look at the clock. Starfire was right—it was 8:13. And that clock was always a few minutes slow.

Buckling the straps as quickly as she could, Raven grabbed the box of chocolates and stumbled to the door, following Starfire up to the main room.

When the door slid open, Raven could barely recognize the place. Streamers and balloons were everywhere and it was dim; the only light came from red fixtures suspended from the ceiling, among the cardboard hearts and cupids hanging above everyone's heads.

"You look beautiful," came Robin's smooth voice as he wrapped an arm around Starfire's waist, kissing her lightly on the cheek.

She giggled, flushing pink, and ventured further into the room.

Raven, forgotten in the doorway, trailed them, searching the crowd of Titans for Aqualad. Everyone invited had come, it seemed, which meant all the honorary Titans and their dates. Several people weren't recognizable—Beast Boy's date was one of them.

She found Aqualad sitting at one of the circular tables that had been set out. He was chatting with Kid Flash and Speedy while Jinx looked on, sitting in the lap of the former, gently toying with his bowtie.

Raven pursed her lips, looking down at the box in her hands. She couldn't very well interrupt their conversation to give it to Aqualad, and she wanted to give it to him when no one was looking—it would save her some embarrassment. It was unorthodox enough that she was even in attendance.

"Rae!"

Cyborg was suddenly waving at her from across the room, gesturing for her to join him. Bumblebee sat next to him, immersed in some conversation with Kole, but by the look on Cyborg's face, it was a 'girl topic,' and thus not anything he'd even be remotely interested in.

Relieved that someone had initiated a conversation, Raven hurried over to him, gaining a strange look from Jericho when she tripped over his guitar case.

For more than an hour she sat at the table, pretending to participate in conversations while truthfully focusing on the way Aqualad's eyes lit up when he laughed. At about 9:30, Beast Boy brought his date over, which forced Raven to turn her eyes from the beloved Atlantian for ten minutes or so.

Once he and 'Jacqueline' went on to Robin and Starfire's table, Raven was free to look back at Aqualad. But in the time that she'd turned away, everyone but him had left the table. Now he was sitting there alone, focusing on the hallway door, looking rather hurt.

"I wonder what's wrong," Bee's quiet voice said in her ear, making Raven jump. "Oh—and now he's leaving? Go talk to him!"

Raven felt heat rising into her face and turned to Bee, mouth open to retort.

"Hush—I know you like him. So go! See what's wrong!" Bee grinned. "And take your chocolate!"

"But—"

She shook her head, prodding Raven. "No buts. Look, he really is leaving!"

Raven's eyes found Aqualad just as he stepped through the door. With a sigh, she took the box of chocolates from Bee and obediently trailed him out the door.

The light from the hallway was blinding; Raven paused for a moment, squinting in search of the dark-haired boy. She caught a glimpse of him at the bottom of the stairs and slowly followed, heart beginning to pound.

A few paces behind him, she was about to turn a corner when the reflection in a row of mirrors stopped her. She could see herself, clutching the small box to her chest, and down the hallway she saw Aqualad racing to keep up with an obviously distraught Speedy.

"Wait!" she heard Aqualad bark, grabbing Speedy's arm, yanking him back. "Just wait, okay?"

Raven pressed her back against the wall, hoping the shadows would keep them from seeing her in the window.

Speedy whirled on Aqualad, eyes unmasked and furious. "Why? What the hell did that even mean? I thought—"

"Gods, Roy; you _know_ that I didn't mean—"

"No! I _don't_ know!" He yanked his arm from Aqualad, shaking his head. "You sounded so smug when you said you were single! I was sitting _right there_! Where the hell do you get off—"

"Flash asked me if I had my eye on any girl, Roy! Any _girl_! Of course I said no!"

Raven felt herself becoming pale. It sounded like—

"You didn't try to correct him, though!"

"Well, neither did you!"

Speedy didn't reply; he crossed his arms, still unhappy.

"Look, we agreed that we wouldn't let anyone know yet, didn't we?" Raven could see Aqualad stepping closer to Speedy and felt weak. "Calm down, okay? I didn't mean anything by it."

Raven felt a spike of jealousy pierce her chest as Aqualad leaned in, his face an inch from Speedy's.

"So, Roy," he murmured just loud enough for her to hear. "Are you still mad?"

Speedy's mouth pulled into a smirk, and he rolled his eyes. "Maybe I am, Fish Stick."

Aqualad leaned back with a laugh, turning away. "And here I was, being all nice to you…"

"Hey, Garth," Speedy called. As Aqualad turned, Speedy caught his wrist, yanking him closer, managing to put a swift kiss on his lips before the Atlantian pulled away. "Now I'm good."

Aqualad laughed and then said something, but Raven couldn't hear it. She was already through the ceiling, phasing through to the roof, taken over by a mix of spite and anger.

It was just her luck, to fall in love with someone who didn't love her back. But this was a new record in her book of disastrous loves—to fall in love with someone who didn't even like her _gender_?

"Good going," she muttered to herself, throwing the box of chocolates a few feet away. Why did she need it now?

But after a moment, she sighed, picking it up and wandering to the edge of the roof. She sat on the raised ledge, setting the box beside her, shivering in the chilly February air.

She stared at the red heart and sighed. She needed someone to blame, but all fingers pointed back to her. She should've seen it coming. No one would ever willingly be with her, especially not someone like the elegant exiled prince of Atlantis. Someone like him would naturally be with another beautiful person.

Raven leaned back with a sigh, jerking forward when she lost her balance and remembered where she was. Grabbing for the edge, she accidentally brushed the box away, yelping as it fell from its precarious placement.

She watched it fall into the misty darkness, despairing. It was pointless to go catch it. It wasn't like she had anyone else to give it to. And eating the chocolates herself… well, that would make her feel worse.

Raven turned back to stare at the roof, putting her face in her hands. Tears began to well up in her eyes but, indignantly, she didn't let them fall. What good would crying do? Letting herself sob over lost love would be about as useful as giving Aqualad those chocolates.

A soft tap beside her made her jump. Looking down at the cement border, her lips pulled down in confusion. The box of chocolates sat beside her, seemingly untouched.

"But how—?"

Slight movement at the corner of her eye made her focus on the masked boy standing a few paces away. She tensed, easily recognizing the caped boy in front of her, and shifted to her feet.

"You must be the most idiotic villain," she growled, wiping at her eyes. "You _do_ realize that every Titan and honorary Titan is only one floor below us, right?"

Red X held his hands out. "I'm not committing any crime, am I?"

"What are you doing here, then?"

When he didn't answer, she smirked. "Starfire's taken, if you didn't know that already."

"And what if I'm not here for her?" He reached one hand up to his mask, pulling it off easily, grinning as he gently put a chocolate in his mouth. "These are good—did you make them?"

Raven's brows dropped; she took the cover off her box of chocolates and, sure enough, one was missing. "How—"

"When you dropped them," he shrugged, running a hand through his auburn hair. "I'll admit, it was wrong, but I figured you wouldn't miss _one_—if you were careless enough to let it fall from the roof, you probably—"

"Give me one valid reason why I shouldn't arrest you right now," she interrupted, glaring at him again.

"Because I have something for you," he laughed, pulling a box from somewhere in his outfit. He held it out. "They probably aren't as good as yours, but I figured I may as well… It's the thought that counts, anyway…"

Raven looked at the box hesitantly. Sensing her uncertainty, Red X opened it and took out a chocolate, putting it in his mouth.

"They aren't poisonous," he smiled after swallowing. Putting the lid back on, he held it out again.

She still didn't take it.

"All right," he sighed, and the box disappeared from his hand. Instantly, a bunch of flowers took its place; a dozen perfect roses. "But at least take these," he said, coming closer.

She couldn't get away from him quickly enough; he took her hand, curling her fingers around the bunch, and promptly stepped back.

"Happy Valentine's, Raven," he smiled, and was gone.

Raven stood there a moment, staring into the darkness, abruptly alone again. She sat on the raised border again with a sigh. Her eyes drifted to the box of chocolates; she let out a gasp, straightening, and picked it up. His box had replaced hers, somehow.

"Thank you," she called out quietly, looking around. "If you're still here…"

"I am, don't worry." He was suddenly sitting next to her. Before she could look at him, he kissed her on the cheek with a soft laugh. "I forgot to tell you something."

She looked at him expectantly.

"I'm in love with you," he said simply. "I'll love you until the twelfth rose dies… And Raven?" he asked, leaning in, whispering in her ear. "One of these roses is fake."

Before she could reply, he kissed her and was gone again, as silently as ever.

She looked at the bunch of flowers and bit her lip to hold back a grin, removing the aforementioned false rose.

"He's good," she chuckled, shaking her head, and turned to rejoin her friends in the main room.

At the end of the night, she realized with a smile that this Valentine's Day _had_ been different. Just not in the way she expected it to be.

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I love how many 'cameo' parts there are. A bunch of Titans are mentioned, but none of them actually do anything… (laugh) Ah, well.

Edwasonabriel? Just think about it…


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